michelle... i love you so much. i few nights ago, everybody was reminded just what a lucky man i am. molia and sash awe are so proud of you. and, yes, you do have to go to school in the morning. and, joe biden, thank you for being the very best vice-president i could have ever hoped for and being a strong and loyal friend. [cheering] madam chairwoman, delegates, i accept your nomination for president of the united states! [cheering] now, the first time i addressed this convention, in 2004, i was a younger man. a senate candidate from illinois who spoke about hope. not blind optimism, not wishful being, but hope in the face of difficulty. hope in the face of uncertainty. that dogged faith in the future which has pushed this nation forward even when the odds are great. even when the road is long. eight years later, that hope has been tested. by the cost of war, by one of the worst economic crisis in history and by political gridlock that has left us wondering whether it is still even possible to tackle the challenges